The Truth Beneath The Rose
by Bre Henson
Summary: Sasuke's soul was conflicted; what was more important to him: power, or those losers that wanted to be his friends?


_A/N: I absolutely love this song, and as I was reading the lyrics, I realize that they could relate to Sasuke._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, The Village hidden in the Sound, Itachi (darn), or Orochimaru (:()  
Or "The Truth Beneath The Rose" that belongs to Within Temptation._

_Give me strength to face the truth, the doubt within my soul,  
No longer I can justify the bloodshed in his name,  
Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose?  
Pray with me so I will find the gate to Heaven's door._

Sasuke sat on his bed, and stared at the photograph he had of Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, and himself; he was actually really starting to like them. Even Naruto.  
_"Maybe...there is more to my life than just revenge?"_ he thought. _"I mean, I'm still going to take down Itachi, but maybe I can have some...friends? I don't know, ugh, it's late; I should go to bed. I need to be ready for the second stage of the Chunin exams tomorrow."_

_I believed it would justify the means,  
It had a hold over me,_

Sasuke screamed, and clutched his shoulder; this was the worst physical pain that he had ever felt.  
"Sasuke!" he heard Sakura scream. "What did you do to him?"  
The grass ninja laughed, "I just gave him what he wanted, dear; power."

_Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast,  
It is the darker side of me,  
The veil of my dreams deceived all I have seen,  
Forgive me for what I have been,  
Forgive me my sins,_

Sasuke woke up; he felt power like he had never tasted before pounding throughout him. He caught sight of Sakura, she was beaten up, and bruised; rage ran throughout him, and strengthened the power.  
"Who did this to you?" he demanded.  
"Oh, Sasuke!" Sakura said, looking at him with wide-eyes. "Thank goodness, you're awa-"  
He grabbed one of the Sound ninja, "These arms of yours you seem very attached to them," he said cruelly, pulling the said limbs behind the man's back, and pulling until the detached from his body. He let the enemy fall to the ground in pain, and then he started to take on one of the others, when Sakura grabbed him around the waste.  
"Sasuke...stop," she said, and he came to his senses.  
_"What's happened to me...?" _he thought.

_Pray for me cause I have lost my faith in holy wars,  
Is paradise denied to me cause I can't take no more,  
Has darkness taken over me, consumed my mortal soul,  
All my virtues sacrificed, can Heaven be so cruel?_

Sasuke kicked Naruto deep into the ground.  
"If I'd have just kept palling around with you guys, I'd have never gotten all this power!" he shouted. "I'd have stayed a weak child, just like you!" he shouted.  
Naruto looked furious, "I don't care what you say to me! I made a promise, and I'm taking you home where you belong!" he yelled in return. "Believe it!"  
Sasuke felt disgust well up in him, when would Naruto learn?

_I believed it would justify the means,  
It had a hold over me,_

"But you know, something useful did come out of it all," Sasuke said, smirking. "You and I became friends, Naruto. Close friends, and ties like that hold a lot of power, especially if you break them; beyond repair." he said in a dark tone.  
Naruto's eyes widened; was Sasuke going to try to kill him?

_Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast,  
It is the darker side of me,  
The veil of my dreams deceived all I have seen,  
Forgive me for what I have been,  
Forgive me my sins,_

Sasuke walked away from the battle site, Naruto should die soon, and then he would have the next level of Sharingan.  
"Another step closer to my goal," Sasuke said quietly, and yet, deep down it didn't feel like a victory, it felt...like emptiness.

_I'm hoping, I'm praying,  
I won't get lost between two worlds.  
For all I have seen the truth lies in between,  
Give me the strength to face the wrong that I have done,  
Now that I know the darkest side of me,_

He kept walking, and walking; it began to rain.  
Sasuke sighed deeply, but no tears marked his face; he had hardened his heart a long time ago to ensure that that wouldn't happen.

_How can blood be our salvation,  
And justify the pain that we have caused throughout the times,  
Will I learn what's truly sacred?  
Will I redeem my soul, will truth set me free?_

Sasuke stood in the training hall in his new home in the Sound village; tomorrow he was going to be Orochimaru's new body.  
_"But why should I let him use me? I'm stronger than him," _he thought.

_Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast,  
It is the darker side of me,  
The veil of my dreams deceived all I have seen,  
Forgive me for what I have been,  
Forgive me my sins._

"So, this is your true form?" Sasuke asked, sneering at the big, white snake before him. "Figures."


End file.
